CHICO — The Chico Area Recreation and Park District is on the road to putting a parcel tax on the March 2020 ballot to help with facilities construction, maintenance and repair.

In a unanimous vote that was urged on by two former directors, the CARD board voted 5-0 Thursday to look at asking voters to approve a parcel tax, the amount of which is still to be determined.

General Manager Ann Willmann noted that there are many steps still to take and that those could change CARD’s direction.

“We still need to ask the public what it wants and communicate with them,” she said after the meeting. Willmann told the board that research by the consultant indicated there was “adequate support for a parcel tax.”

The board’s approval gives Willmann the go-ahead to enter into a contract with consultant Clifford Moss for the next steps, secure legal counsel to draft the ballot measure, develop educational materials, and talk to the public about district needs and their needs.

The board had set aside $130,000 in the budget for costs associated with the revenue measure.

At this point, no specific dollar figure for the parcel tax has been set, but the board was shown a presentation with figures ranging from $60 per year, resulting in $2.2 million per year, to $110 per year resulting in $4 million.

The consultants will help CARD pinpoint the amount, although several directors indicated they hoped for an amount that would adequately advance the recreation district.

“I’d like to be as specific as possible,” Director Tom Lando said, regarding the projects and improvements the tax would fund. The community will be asked again about what changes it wants, Willmann noted.

“Staff is doing the best they can on maintenance,” Director Dave Donnan said.

Chair Michael Worley said he wants to see the community step up to help in a fashion similar to the skateboard community, which raised money and volunteered to improve the Humboldt Avenue facility.

The board could still change direction before the November deadline to get the measure to Butte County to put on the ballot. However, if they wanted to move forward with the parcel tax, Willmann said she needed an answer quickly, and recommended in favor of the parcel tax.

What could be accomplished will be determined by the tax amount, however, an initial list of projects to be finalized includes more softball and soccer fields, a swimming facility, another bathroom, and a gym, among others.

Former directors Jan Sneed and Herman Ellis urged the current board to move forward with the tax, which has been talked about for years. They mentioned the need for another gym, along with swimming facilities.

Following that vote, Director Mike McGinnis put forward another proposal to see what could be done with what money CARD has set aside, CARD assessment districts, and city-held community park and neighborhood park funds. CARD will be talking to the city next month about tapping those city funds. Willmann said about $6.7 million is in the city’s park fund, paid for by development.

“Some projects we can do now, regardless of the parcel tax,” said McGinnis, who serves on CARD’s Finance Committee. He mentioned a bocce ball and creating a park on Ceres Avenue, which has been discussed for years.